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Orb Sceptre Throne/Chapter 8
Darujhistan Caladan Brood, South of Darujhistan Caladan Brood wakes up one morning to find that the Rhivi are breaking camp to leave. He is approached by Tserig, one of the Elders, who breaks to him the news that the Malazans were driven out of Pale, and the circle of war leaders has decided to attack the Malazans. This effectively means that they do not require Brood's leadership anymore. Jiwan has decided to lead the attack and convinced the warleaders that now is the time to strike. Caladan has a different course of action in mind. Instead of attacking the Malazans who have been threatening the Rhivi way of life, he wants to be witness to an agreement between the two nations so that they can live in peace. Scorch and Leff Scorch and Leff approach the Darujhistan guild hall for guards, and apply for positions as guards for the Legate. Soen, Captain of the bodyguard is required by Guild laws to check their standing in the lists if they are certified members in good standing. They are found to be in the lists with an impeccable record, and as per guild rules, the Captain is forced to hire them. Mengal Mountains Yusek Yusek leads the two Seguleh Lo and Sall north, up the coasts of the Mengal range. Due to heavy rains, her leathers are rotting and her toe skin is peeling off, and she is sick with heavy cough due to the weather. The two Seguleh have remained silent throughout. Since she has been leading them due west when what they seek is north, Sall eventually questions her, and Yusek justifies her route. Dernan the Wolf and his large army of bandits are located immediately north, and they slaughter all travelers for their baggage. Lo and Sall insist they go directly North because Yusek is sick and will die if they don't get her to a refuge from the rain. They want Dernan to provide them with supplies and shelter for Yusek. Despite repeated warnings and protests at the seemingly suicidal choice of route, she is forced to acquiesce. After two days of further travelling, they encounter the forward elements of Dernan's army. They are surrounded and covered from all sides with crossbows. Three of the bandits come down to take their weapons, one each for Yusek, Sall and Lo, when Sall and Lo attack the bandits. Sall kills the man in front of him, and rolls aside avoiding all the bolts fired at him, while Lo impales the man opposite him and uses him as a shield. Yusek tries to defend herself, but is about to be killed when Sall saves her. Sall and Lo then kill the remaining bandits. As Yusek recovers from the horror of the human slaughter around her, she spots Sall coming down with a tall woman who had surrendered her weapon before the Seguleh deemed her an enemy to kill. The woman had known about the Seguleh and some of their customs and had thus been able to save herself. She holds Yusek and the Seguleh responsible for killing them, to which Sall questions her if it is the custom in these lands to rob and kill travelers. Sall and Lo have a discussion, and put their demands to Lorkal, the woman they captured. She can either go and convince Dernan to provide them with supplies, and allow Yusek to rest there, or the two will kill Dernan and his army. Faced with the moral quandary, she chooses to go to Dernan and try to convince him. After waiting for some time, the two Seguleh decide that Lorkal has had enough time and attack Dernan's village. All through the fight, Yusek is delirious with fever and barely conscious. When she comes to, she is lying in front of a fire and two small children ask her to eat. When she speaks to them she realizes she is in Dernan's camp, though it is now no longer his. An old man arrives, introducing himself as Bo. Yusek inquires about Lo and Sall, and he informs her that the two Seguleh slaughtered all opposition. She then asks about Lorkal. When Bo takes Yusek to her body she recognizes the signs of torture. Bo confirms that Dernan did not believe Lorkal and tortured her to death. Yusek tells Bo that they seek a monastery in the mountains and Bo intuits their reasons for going there. He is a mage, and knows a few things about ascendants. He believes that there is an ascendant living in that monastery and the Seguleh mean to challenge him. He refuses to give the location of the monastery to her, thinking it is his duty to prevent a confrontation between the Seguleh and the ascendant. She goes out to find Sall, and tells him she will be ready to leave just as she soon as she had a hot meal. She goes back and meets Bo, and tells him to go to Orbern, who would welcome them all as additions to his 'town'. Bo then tells her the location of this monastery. Yusek and the Seguleh leave. Darujhistan Jeshin Lim Jeshin Lim, as Legate, has received reports that some entities claiming to be representatives of Darujhistan have been fermenting hostilities against Pale. Councillor Yost, who has business relations corroborates this. However, Jeshin cannot be certain of this information and decides to send Councillor Nom to Pale on a covert mission to find out more about these activities. Jeshin is later woken at night by Taya. A figure appears besides her, and Taya tells Jeshin that his role is finished and now it is time to move to the second act. He sees that the man who has just appeared is wearing loose robes, and a gold mask that is pale in the moon-light. Taya grabs his head and the figure removes the mask from it's face. What Jeshin sees beneath it makes him scream, and the scream is then suffocated by metal pressing on his face. Torvald Nom Torvald Nom receives a letter from the Legate, delivered by a clerk, asking him to leave for Pale and report on the state of affairs there. Torvald is happy that he has to leave Darujhistan and prepares to leave immediately. Barathol Barathol has started working in his new forge, which is located on Majesty Hill, at nights only. His work is smelting silver and pouring them in sand constructs. His work is usually overseen by the two mages, Aman and Barukanal. The two then work some sort of magery on the silver he has just re-cast. His work routine is increasingly putting him in a daze, and he starts harboring doubts about his current life, thinking of simply taking little Chaur and leaving Darujhistan. K'rul's Bar Spindle has related his story to the rest of the people at K'rul's bar, and everyone there is now silent, just as they have for the past few days, waiting for the storm to arrive. Duiker questions Spindle about the stones he has seen. Spindle responds with a description, the stone was white, a little like marble, but unlike marble, it was also translucent. Fisher is startled to hear that. He says that that kind of stone is not used anywhere in Darujhistan at all. There is an old superstition regarding these kind of stones. He remembers certain lays and songs such as "The Throne of White Stone" that speaks of tormented spirits imprisoned in a underworld ruled by demons. Picker is not interested, and Spindle reiterates that it isn't their fight. Fisher is lost in thought, and only Duiker notices him suddenly sit upright in alarm at some thought that he has just had. Later that night, Fisher and Duiker are the only ones sitting up when Duiker comments that he hasn't heard that song before. Fisher tells him it is a foriegn song, from far off. When Duiker asks him about what he had been about to say regarding the underworld being guarded by someone, Fisher responds that according to the song, the tormented souls were guarded by faceless warriors. Fisher then goes out for a walk Fisher Fisher arrives at Lady Envy's estate. He sees Envy dressed in a pale green dress. She asks if he is bored by his simple minded friends, and Fisher asks her if she had known what was coming all along. Envy had known before hand and she is interested in this Tyrant's coming just so she can attend a proper court at last. Fisher is saddened that Envy doesn't care if thousands have to die just so she can attend a court. She accuses him of hypocrisy, and makes a distinction between the rulers and the ruled and that there would always be both of them. Fisher responds by saying he would rather have rulers who generated wealth for people rather than suck it away from the people as parasites would blood, without contributing anything. Envy throws a glass at him, and asks him to go away. Fisher leaves at once. 08